Grocery expenditure may not seem to be a lot, but you may be shocked at the
numbers if you track your expenditure. Spending data from intelligence firm Esri
indicated that Americans spend approximately $431 monthly on groceries.
The COVID-19 pandemic made the situation even worse. Since the pandemic outbreak in February 2020, the cost of foodstuffs like eggs, meat, and vegetables has skyrocketed the fastest in over a decade.
Consumer price index statistics show that groceries prices have risen by 7% since
January 2020. Though the hike can be attributed to food shortage caused by panic
buying and companies closure during the pandemic, inflation is also to blame.
Apart from the high prices, sometimes our behavior at the grocery store is the
problem. You walk into the store and are tempted to blow your grocery budget,
purchasing things you do not need and did not plan for.
Perhaps it is the sound of the quicky wheels on your shopping cart that interferes
with your sanity and budget. We may not correct the wheels; however, we empower you with some practical tips on saving money on groceries.
1. Pay your grocery with rewards cards
You can save money on groceries by paying via specific cards to earn rewards.
These rewards can be used to offset future grocery bills. Though generic cashback cards such as the Citi® Double Cash Card can give your 2% cashback on purchases, you can take advantage of specific grocery rewards cards with up to 6% cashback.
2. Redefine dinner
If your family thinks of dinner as a huge homemade meal coupled with sizzling beef, steaming fresh vegetables, a loaf of French bread, and chocolate dessert- give them a break. Supper should do not need to be a big feast; your family will do fine with omelets, beans, BLTs, and salads a few times weekly.
Take control of your dinner budget and serve simple meals. You will be surprised that your kids think it is awesome to eat pancakes for dinner. Since eggs are relatively cheaper, you can incorporate them into different dishes, and your family will be okay. With a little ingenuity and tweak of the last meal of the day, you can shrink your grocery budget and save money.
3. Sign up for a loyalty program
Shop at a grocery store with a free-to-join loyalty program. Signing up for these programs gives you access to members-only discounts, meaning occasionally, you will pay less than non-members.
4. Clip coupons
A loyalty program at your favorite grocery store will maximize your savings. You clip coupons from the store and get additional discounts. Check their weekly circular through the mail and identify deals that suit you. Cut out these coupons and use that in your next grocery shopping.
The digital options are even easier to use once you download mobile apps for your favorite grocery store. You can browse for any discounts and then load the coupons to your digital loyalty card. When you buy at the store, the discounts will be applied as you checkout.
5. Go in with a list and crunch the number as you shop
Shopping blindly without a list can be detrimental to your budget. You could end up with impulse buying. As you shop, pull out your calculator or phone and add the cost of every item you put in the cart. This may help you analyze if you truly need some items and avoid surprises at the counter.
Stick to the list to prevent blowing your budget and regretting afterward. Do not be afraid to say no to candy requests from your kids- if possible, go grocery shopping without your kids.
6. Raid your pantry
Before you head for grocery shopping, take a look at your pantry or fridge and
determine which foodstuffs you have in there that can be thrown together with the available ingredients.
Sometimes you may not need additional groceries if you still have some food stocked in the fridge. For instance, you could be thinking you need more groceries when your freezer has chicken thighs, and your fridge has cans of salsa and black beans. You can throw these together for a perfect meal instead of going for new groceries.
7 . Join a wholesale club
If your family is large, joining a wholesale club may be an excellent idea. Wholesale clubs like Costco enable you to save when buying in bulk at cheaper prices rather than individual purchases. However, if you do not have a strong cash flow, this could not be a suitable move.
Other concerns for a wholesale club are the membership fees. This cost can make sense and result in shopping if you shop frequently and in bulk; otherwise, the wholesale club may not work for you.
8. Buy items on sale
When shopping for groceries, look for items on promotions like eggs, milk, and vegetables to help you save on groceries. If the items in your shopping list are on sale, buy them.
Since supermarkets often display sales items in prominent locations, it is easy to identify them. Therefore, factor in these items in your grocery list to shrink the budget.
9. Think before buying in bulk
Buying in bulk can save you money, but not all the time. Do not rush into judging that a discount store offering bulk is the cheapest option. When you have an established budget for grocery shopping, take out your calculator and compare prices per unit, and you may realize that the item is not cheap as earlier thought.
Another concern with bulk buying is that some households are carried with the hype of cheap things and buy more than enough. Over-purchasing, especially goods that, expire quickly, could be counter-productive and may not save your grocery budget. If the items on offer for bulk buying are cereals, that is a worthwhile investment.
10. Pay your grocery with cash
Cash is king! You will only control your spending and feel the pain of overspending on unnecessary things if you pay them with cash. Going into a store with cash in hand helps you control how much you spend. Credit card spending is sometimes deceptive and tempting. You could end up picking something you did not plan for because you can take it and pay later.
If you have a problem managing cash- eating like a king at the beginning of the month and languishing towards the end, you can cultivate a habit of withdrawing cash for weekly grocery spending. Having weekly cash and sticking to this budget can help you decern how much money you have for spending on every grocery trip.
11. Shop at different grocery stores
Ask yourself why you pick your grocery at the same store every week. You may find that this shopping habit has nothing to do with the cost of goods here but a blind habit. Though it could be challenging for you to break from this habit, you could break up with your favorite seller and check out the price difference somewhere else.
Check out stores that may not be very popular in your area, and you may be
shocked at the price difference. Class and status will not save your money, so be smart and make wise choices with your hard-earned cash.
Some people are used to high-end malls with unbelievably hiked prices to maintain a certain class; however, if your goal is to save money on groceries, it could be time to change your store.
Final Thought
As grocery prices continue to hike due to inflation and the pandemic, you can make good decisions and save money. Even small savings on every grocery trip will count in the end. It is good practice to keep a record of grocery shopping and keep your budget at a minimum.
Company Bio: Reclaim Dollar is a financial blog that assist people in making smart money decisions by taking control of their personal finances. At Reclaim Dollar we educate our user in making wise decisions when it comes to choices like make money, save money, debt, loan, Banking and more.
